NR508 Pharm Midterm Exam With Correct Answers Graded A+

NR508 Pharm Midterm Exam A 12-year-old patient who is obese develops type 2 diabetes mellitus. The primary care NP should order - metformin (Glucophage). Metformin is the only drug listed that is recommended for children A 30-year-old white woman has a BMI of 26 and weighs 150 lb. At an annual physical examination, the patient's fasting plasma glucose is 130 mg/dL. The patient walks 1 mile three or four times weekly. She has had two children who weighed 7 lb and 8 lb at birth. Her personal and family histories are noncontributory. The primary care NP should: - set a weight loss goal of 10 to 15 lb. To prevent or delay onset of diabetes, patients with impaired glucose should be advised to lose 5% to 10% of body weight. Metformin should be considered in patients with high risk of developing diabetes. This woman does not have risk factors. Other tests are not indicated. A 40-year-old patient is in the clinic for a routine physical examination. The patient has a body mass index (BMI) of 26. The patient is active and walks a dog daily. A lipid profile reveals low-density lipoprotein (LDL) of 100 mg/dL, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) of 30 mg/dL, and triglycerides of 250 mg/dL. The primary care nurse practitioner (NP) should: - order a fasting plasma glucose level. Testing for type 2 diabetes should be considered in all adults with a BMI greater than 25 who have risk factors such as HDL less than 35 mg/dL or triglycerides greater than 250 mg/dL. A fasting plasma glucose level greater than 126 mg/dL indicates diabetes. Metformin is not indicated unless testing is positive. Lifestyle changes may be part of the treatment plan. Serum insulin level is not indicated. A 50-year-old woman who is postmenopausal is taking an aromatase inhibitor as part of a breast cancer treatment regimen. She calls her primary care NP to report that she has had hot flashes and increased vaginal discharge but no bleeding. The NP should: - schedule her for a gynecologic examination. Any abnormal vaginal discharge should be reported immediately and should be evaluated with a gynecologic examination to rule out carcinoma. She is not showing signs of ovulation, so contraception is not necessary. She should not stop taking the medication unless the gynecologic examination is positive. These are common side effects but are not always normal. A 55-year-old patient with no prior history of hypertension has a blood pressure greater than 140/90 on three separate occasions. The patient does not smoke, has a body mass index of 24, and exercises regularly. The patient has no known risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The primary care NP should: - perform a careful cardiovascular physical assessment. If the patient is younger than 20 or older than 50 years old at the onset of elevated blood pressure, the NP should look for causes of secondary hypertension. The physical examination should include a careful cardiovascular assessment. This patient will need pharmacologic treatment, but not until the underlying cause of hypertension is determined. A 55-year-old woman has a history of myocardial infarction (MI). A lipid profile reveals LDL of 130 mg/dL, HDL of 35 mg/dL, and triglycerides 150 mg/dL. The woman is sedentary with a body mass index of 26. The woman asks the primary care NP about using a statin medication. The NP should: - begin therapy with atorvastatin 10 mg per day This woman would be using a statin medication for secondary prevention because she already has a history of MI, so a statin should be prescribed. Dietary and lifestyle changes should be a part of therapy, but not the only therapy. She is relatively young, and quality-of-life issues are not a concern. There is no clinical evidence to support use of statins as primary prevention in women. A parent brings a child who has moderate-persistent asthma to the clinic and tells the primary care NP that none of the child's medications are working. The parent says, "Everybody tells me something different. I don't know what to do." The NP suspects that the parent is not administering the medications appropriately. The NP should initially: - perform a careful history of the child's symptoms and the medications that are given. Clinical providers must refine listening and questioning skills and focus on the patient and the environment. It is important to begin with a thorough history and to elicit the patient's understanding of a disease or a medication to identify potential problems. Providing written action plans, reviewing past providers' prescriptions, and explaining medications are useful only after the NP determines what the problem is. A patient bursts into tears when the primary care NP diagnoses diabetes. The NP should: - ask the patient about past experiences with anyone who has this diagnosis. To help patients participate in their disease management, the NP must have an understanding of the patient's concerns and fears. The first step when the patient is obviously upset is to determine what the patient knows and fears about the disease. A patient comes to the clinic and asks the primary care NP about using a newly developed formulation of the drug the patient has been taking for a year. When deciding whether or not to prescribe this formulation, the NP should: - tell the patient that when postmarketing data is available, it will be considered. About 6 to 12 months of postmarketing experience can yield information about drug efficacy and side effects, so patients should be cautioned to wait for these data. Drug company promotional materials have biased information. Most new drugs are more expensive, and costs alone should not determine drug choice. Extended-release forms are often more expensive. A patient comes to the clinic reporting dizziness and fatigue associated with nausea and vomiting. The primary care NP suspects anemia and orders a complete blood count. The patient's hemoglobin is elevated. The NP correctly concludes that the patient is not anemic. The NP has made an error in: - hypothesis triggering and information processing. Faulty hypothesis triggering occurs when the clinician fails to consider appropriate initial hypotheses. The patient had nausea and vomiting, which can cause dehydration, leading to orthostatic hypotension and dizziness. The NP made an assumption that the dizziness was caused by anemia and ordered a complete blood count. Faulty information gathering occurs when clinicians fail to order appropriate tests. An error in context formulation occurs when clinicians and patients have different goals. Errors in knowledge base would occur if the practitioner did not perform a complete history and physical, missing important information. An error in cost-versus-benefit analysis could occur if the clinician ordered expensive tests that were not necessary for diagnosis and treatment. A patient comes to the clinic to discuss weight loss. The primary care NP notes a BMI of 32 and performs a health risk assessment that reveals no obesity-related risk factors. The NP should recommend: - changes in diet and exercise along with short-term phentermine. This patient is grade 2 overweight (obese), so a short-term course of phentermine is useful, especially as there are no cardiovascular risk factors. Orlistat is a second-line drug. Surgical intervention is indicated when other therapies fail. Changes in diet and physical activity alone do not bring immediate results, and patients often get discouraged. A patient develops hypertension. The primary care nurse practitioner (NP) plans to begin diuretic therapy for this patient. The NP notes clear breath sounds, no organomegaly, and no peripheral edema. The patient's serum electrolytes are normal. The NP should prescribe: - hydrochlorothiazide (HydroDIURIL) Thiazide diuretics are first-line drugs for treating hypertension. The other three drugs are not thiazide diuretics A patient has been diagnosed with IBS and tells the primary care NP that symptoms of diarrhea and cramping are worsening. The patient asks about possible drug therapy to treat the symptoms. The NP should prescribe: - dicyclomine (Bentyl). Dicyclomine has indirect and direct effects on the smooth muscle of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Both actions help to relieve smooth muscle spasm. Mesalamine is used to treat ulcerative colitis. Simethicone acts locally to treat symptoms of trapped air and gas. Metoclopramide is used to increase motility. A patient has been taking levothyroxine 100 mcg daily for several months. The patient comes to the clinic with complaints of insomnia and irritability. The primary care NP notes a heart rate of 92 beats per minute. The NP should: - order TSH and T4 levels and decrease the dose to 75 mcg/day. When signs of thyrotoxicosis occur, the drug should be decreased or temporarily discontinued for 5 to 7 days. Liothyronine is not indicated. Propylthiouracil is not indicated. A patient in the clinic develops sudden shortness of breath and tachycardia. The primary care NP notes thready pulses, poor peripheral perfusion, and a decreased level of consciousness. The NP activates the emergency medical system and should anticipate that this patient will receive: - ???unfractionated heparin (UFH) and warfarin OR Alteplase This patient has unstable pulmonary embolism (PE) and should receive thrombolytic therapy. Intravenous alteplase is the preferred agent. UFH and warfarin are recommended for stable PE. LMWH is beneficial in submassive PE and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) but is controversial for treatment of massive PE. A patient reports having episodes of dizziness, nausea, and lightheadedness and describes a sensation of the room spinning when these occur. The primary care NP will refer the patient to a specialist who, after diagnostic testing, is likely to prescribe: - meclizine. Patients with vertigo may experience whirling or a feeling of the room spinning around. In true vertigo, the patient can identify the direction in which the room is spinning. Anticholinergics are the most effective agents in cases of motion sickness or vertigo. Meclizine has a specific indication to treat vertigo. A patient reports having occasional acute constipation with large, hard stools and pain and asks the primary care NP about medication to treat this condition. The NP learns that the patient drinks 1500 mL of water daily; eats fruits, vegetables, and bran; and exercises regularly. The NP should recommend: - a saline laxative as needed. Mild short-term constipation may be treated with a saline laxative or a bulk laxative as needed. Daily laxatives are not recommended. Glycerin suppositories can cause irritation of the rectum with long-term use.